


Answered Prayers

by danceswithhamsters01



Series: Reddit Prompts [76]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Battle, Canon-Typical Violence, Demons, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Love Interest POV, Lyrium Withdrawal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 15:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21322783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithhamsters01/pseuds/danceswithhamsters01
Summary: Based on a prompt from r/dragonage.Prompt 2: First Meeting: Before, during, and afterCommander Cullen Rutherford's first time meeting the prisoner who would be remembered by history as the Inquisitor who sealed the Breach.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan
Series: Reddit Prompts [76]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1153856
Kudos: 5





	Answered Prayers

His present situation made the throbbing at his temples seem a simple, insignificant thing. For the first time in months, it was easy to have a swig of water and not wish it were more… blue. Granted, it didn’t slake the thirst that’d been leaving his throat parched, no matter how much water he gulped down. Some chains required more effort to break than others.

One of the scouts came running from around another corner of the ruins, terror etched on her face. “Another tear! More incoming!”

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed before readying sword and shield. Demons wouldn’t have been his first choice of distraction from his withdrawal symptoms, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, now could they? “Men! To me! Shield the wounded!”

_Maker, Andraste… if either of you are listening, we could use a miracle right about now, _the commander thought as he braced himself for another onslaught. An unearthly scream put a halt to any further prayerful thoughts. The demons had found them. Cullen let years of training, along with a hefty kick of adrenaline, take hold. A slash of his blade took the hand off one of the shades, making it shriek in anger before a hail of arrows finished it off. Next, he dashed and put himself between a soldier and the rage demon that’d knocked them down, raising his shield but taking care to angle it slightly downward, successfully redirecting the gout of flame aimed his – and the soldier’s – way. He tried his best to ignore how hot his shield felt afterward and swung his blade at the demon in retaliation.

“Over there! We must help them!” a familiar woman’s voice called out. “Quickly, before they are overwhelmed!”

_Cassandra? Here? _The commander dared to spare a glance in the direction of the Seeker’s voice.

The familiar forms of Seeker Pentaghast, that damned dwarf Varric, and the apostate elven mage Solas greeted his eyes. Plus one more: a woman, a very tall woman holding a great-sword that was longer than most elves were tall, accompanied them. He’d never seen her before. _Who is that?_The swipe of a demon’s claws toward his face pulled him from further pondering over the stranger. He dodged the blow, narrowly.

Crossbow bolts joined arrows in stabbing new holes into demonic hides. Cassandra charged with her shield, knocking another demon off its feet, disorienting it. The clang of steel weapons rang out against the toughened hide and flesh of horrifically twisted bodies (and whatever it was that a rage demon’s body was composed of). Once more, he lost himself in the “now” of battle, determined to not let the demons get to the wounded and finish the job that their fellows had started earlier. A feminine bellow nearly caught him off guard. The tall stranger came barreling his way with a shoulder lowered; he barely had time to side-step out of her way. She bowled over one of the long spindly demons, – a terror, if he wasn’t mistaken – smashing it to the ground. Her great-sword came up in an arc, sending the thing’s head tumbling a good distance away from the rest of its body. _Something_ gleamed in her deep green eyes, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

“Behind you!” she called out to him.

Before he could react, she stabbed her sword forward and to the side of him, making the shade sneaking up on him voice an indignant scream of pain. She kicked it off her weapon while he scrabbled out of the way. With a roar, she slashed out at the beast, slicing a deep line across its chest. Blade and claw met again and again until the beast was a fraction of a second too slow in reacting; her sword stabbed through the demon’s neck. The defeated monster’s body sank to the ground as if it were melting candle wax. The strange warrior panted and brushed a stray lock of curly black hair out of her eyes. She shot a grin his way.

“I think that’s the last of them,” Varric called out.

Cullen watched as the stranger turned her gaze toward the sickly green tear in the veil between worlds and lifted her left hand up and away from herself. A strange glow, matching the color of the Breach, enveloped her hand as a line of energy shot toward the rift. With a grunt, she closed her fist. The rift vanished with a bursting sound, leaving the smell of ozone – and a brandnew patch in the Veil – in its wake.

The stranger cradled her left hand in her right as if it hurt, a hint of a frown playing at her mouth.

“Sealed. As before. You are becoming quite proficient at this,” Solas said as he walked to the woman’s side.

“Let’s hope it works on the big one,” Varric added.

Cassandra made her way to the trio, sheathing her sword.

“Lady Cassandra, you managed to seal the rift? Well done,” the commander said to the Seeker.

Cassandra arched a brow and looked at him with a touch of disbelief. “Do not congratulate me, Commander. This is the prisoner’s doing.” She nodded toward said prisoner; who, he noticed, was several inches taller than Lady Pentaghast. The dark-haired stranger who’d smiled at him earlier stepped forward.

“Is it? I hope they’re right about you. We’ve lost a lot of people getting you here,” he replied. It took effort to keep his features neutral. Now that he could take a better look at the prisoner, he found her… comely. Broad shoulders, porcelain skin, and an athletic build paired nicely with her bright eyes.

“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try my best,” the captive replied.

“That’s all we can ask.” He turned to Cassandra. “The way to the temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there.”

“Then we best move quickly. Give us time, Commander,” the Seeker said.

“Maker watch over you, for all our sakes.” He turned to help one of the wounded to their feet, pulling their arm over his shoulder to give them support. More than half the soldiers withdrawing with him were doing the same for their injured comrades.

**

He saw her again several days later, thankfully alive and whole, as Cassandra led her into the War room.

“You’ve met Commander Cullen, leader of the Inquisition’s forces.”

“It was only for a moment on the field. I’m pleased you survived.” He couldn’t help the smile that colored his voice.

Introductions were made. Arguments were had over which group of people to seek out for aid sealing the Breach: the rebel mages or the templar order. Not that either group was eager to speak to the newly-born Inquisition. And then the metaphorical bomb was dropped.

“Some are calling you the Herald of Andraste. That frightens the Chantry,” Ambassador Montilyet said to the former captive. “The remaining clerics have declared it blasphemy, and we heretics for harboring you.”

The supposed Herald of Andraste, – Lady Eylarra Trevelyan of Ostwick, as he would later learn she was called – shot a bug-eyed look of horror at Josephine. “Just **how am I** the ‘Herald of Andraste!?’ That **is **blasphemy!”

Cassandra and Leliana fell to bickering. Again.

He couldn’t resist. “That’s quite the title, isn’t it? How do you feel about that?”

The “Herald” turned pale. “Extremely unsettled. I’m not a herald of anything. I’m just a person.”

He chuckled. _Well, at least this one seems like she won’t be getting a big head any time soon._


End file.
